It has been an exciting couple of weeks. First, Sinners' Opera, a vampire paranormal romance, is now in the Finals for the Raven Award from Uncaged Book Reviews!! Thanks to each and every one of you who voted for the book in the semi-finals. XX (fingers crossed)
Then, I received an email from my publisher that Life for Sale, a sci-fi romance and sequel to Love For Sale, would be released August 24, 2020! It will go on preorder on Amazon before that date but when is at Amazon's whim. Here is a blurb, excerpt, and review snippet. Love For Sale and Life for Sale feature sentient androids, indistinguishable from human.
Love for Sale will be on sale on Amazon, Nook, and iBooks for 99-cents from 7/31 to 8/21. Grab a copy at this special price and Life for Sale, the second in the series, will be available soon.
Blurb:
Mayfair Electronics has created life.
But four of their Special Editions—sentient androids indistinguishable from human—have escaped. Rebel, Christian Aguillard and his owner, March, are on the run, but they have a bigger problem than his creator’s plan to destroy him. They’ve discovered that one of the renegades has suffered a dangerous malfunction, threatening them with more than just exposure. Trapped on a cruise ship in the middle of the Atlantic, March and Christian must stop the insane robot before someone else dies. All the evidence points to March being the killer’s next victim.
Excerpt:
Monica moved closer to Christian, holding
his gaze. “You were always your creator’s favorite…it’s rumored.”
Shaking his head, he moved away from her
advance. “I didn’t hear that rumor.”
Her brows shot up, but she said nothing.
Her steady gaze challenged him to deny her claim.
Was what she said true? Without Damien
Wills’ help, their bid for freedom would have failed. They’d have been captured
and deactivated on the spot. That scene replayed before his eyes.
“Damien,”
he said, urgency lowering his voice. “Do you know why the Special Editions were
created and tested among humanity?”
“As
companions, as—”
“No.
Deactivate the alarm, please.” Christian nodded at the red handle embedded in
the wall. “You’re in no danger from us. You are a danger to us. Allow me to
tell you what we’ve learned, and I believe you’ll understand where we are going
and why.”
His
creator stared at him for several precious seconds, considering. Christian felt
each beat of time slipping away. Finally, the scientist grabbed the handle and
tugged.
Monica’s sensual yet oddly hard voice
jerked him back to the ocean liner. He awoke from the memory, gazing over his
shoulder at the restless sea.
“Why else would Dr. Wills turn off the
alarm, allowing us to escape?” Monica positioned herself in front of Christian.
In a bold act, she stroked his cheek. “Did Dr. Wills tell you how perfect you
are?” Her shoulders moved ever-so slightly, the gesture carnally arousing.
“Every day, Stefan told me how special I was.”
March flung Monica an irritated glance.
Now and then, jealousy overcame his wife. Since Monica’s appearance, now more
than then. He almost laughed when she captured his hand, staking her claim and
warning the sexy android to butt out.
“Looks like we have another Special Edition
with an independent streak,” March commented softly—the iron fist in the velvet
glove. Monica had better beware.
“I have to be independent. Fending for
myself alone.” Monica swept a hand through her hair, the gesture highlighting
the pert fullness of her breasts.
At his side, March tensed, a distant look
in her eyes. “You don’t have to be single to be alone.”
Why was Monica II acting as if she were
the only person never to have found a partner?
He hated that she’d reminded
March of her failed marriage and the long years she felt she’d wasted. They
were silent for a long moment, each perhaps considering his or her own quest
for love. Christian was relieved when Daniel spoke into the growing darkness.
“Are you that unhappy?” His brother’s
voice held compassion, but something else echoed behind his question. He
sounded sad as Monica felt—or pretended?
“Let’s just say my life could be fuller.”
Monica turned back to the rail, staring at the black sea. “What would happen if
we jumped into the ocean? Would we drown?”
Christian stiffened. “No, but don’t test
it. The immersion in water might cause a short circuit that would destroy you—”
“But it didn’t—” Daniel broke off when
Christian raised a warning hand.
“Why do you ask such a question?” He was
concerned, angry, and more than a little worried about Monica.
Daniel joined her at the rail, placing his
hands on her shoulders from behind. “We both need someone to love; someone to
love us.”
“Let’s change the subject,” March’s
expression showed sympathy not pique. “Do we need to change for the big Welcome
Party?”
“There’s plenty of time.” Daniel pulled
Monica to him and hugged her. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you and the
pilot. You’ll find someone else.”
She patted his back. “Thanks, Daniel, but
it won’t work. I’ve tried.”
March smiled. “Okay, team, our mission is
to find Monica’s Mr. Right.”
“I’m in,” Christian said, and Daniel
raised a hand.
Monica’s expression hardened. “I don’t
think it’s possible.”
Christian shivered, remembering the pilot
all too clearly. A severed head in a box
in their backyard. The disgust he’d felt then possessed him now, his heart
clenching. His feelings must have shown on his face. March squeezed his hand
and whispered, “Don’t go there. We must forget.”
And they had much to forget.
Review snippet:
“Nightingale has seamlessly made the unbelievable believable for the reader with a totally unexpected but thoroughly satisfying ending…” S.H.
~*~
So, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard would say, "Make it so."
Have a marvelous Tuesday.-- Linda
